Improvement in canal-boats



BENJAMIN T. BABBITT.

Improvement in Canal-Boats. No.127,826, PatentedJun eHJ872.

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AM, P/mW-UTI/OGRA mm emu [waver/5S M00553) PATENT OFFICE.

- BENJAMIN T. BABBITT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT lN CANAL-BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,826, dated June 11, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN T. BABBITT, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement 'in Navigable Vessels; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents a plan of a pair or train of vessels constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same at the line w w in Fig. 3, which latter is a longitudinal vertical section at the line y y in Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

This invention relates to vessels which are propelled by means of a pump'or other device arranged to admit water at the bow and eject it along a trunk from the stern or opposite end of the boat below the level of the surrounding water, or to eject it from either side of the vessel, for the purpose of steering the same. The invention consists in a socketed construction of the water-trunk, hereinbefore named, at its end or ends, whereby a train of vessels or series of vessel sections, arranged end to end, may be provided with a continuous passage for the water drawn in at one end of the train and ejectedat the other end thereof to effect propulsion of the entire train by a pump or pumps at the one end of the latter.

The invention although applicable to navigable vessels generally will be found particularly suitable for boats on canals.

In the accompanying drawing, A A represent two boats or vessel sections, arranged end for end to form a train that may, if desired, be composed of any greater number of such sections. United, these sections virtually form but a single vessel, and it will be correct here to refer to them as such, as separate vessels, which may be made complete in themselves or as mere vessel sections. B is the opening, covered by a front grating, G, by which water is admitted at the bow of the vessel or train for expulsion by a pump, 1), along a trunk, E, in the bottom of the vessel or train, and which connects at its rear end with a stem-chamber, F, open in the rear but closed at its sides and bottom. To make this trunk E a continuous one for a series of vessels or vessel sections, the adjacent ends of the trunk portions of such sections are constructed with a male and female socket, on 1), arranged to lit the one into the other, whereby leakage is avoided at the sides of the trunk. The vessel sections are connected transversely, and a propelling device at the one end of a train of vessels or vessel sections, A A ,may be connected longitudinally by deck-strips cc and draw-pins d d. The trunk E, along and out of which the water is ejected in direction of the arrow z to propel the vessel or train in areverse direction, is made to connect at any suitable number of points in its length, on both sides of it, with valve-chambers G, the one pair of which, at either end of the vessel or train, on opposite sides of it, should be arranged as close as convenient to said ends, especially the rear pair of valve chambers. Each of these valve-chambers forms a lateral opening through the side of the vessel, and is provided with a double or balance disk valve, 6 e, controlling openings in the ends of the valve-chamber, and through which, when open, water is passed from the trunk E by passages ff to the interior of the valve-chamber and through the side opening in the latter to effect lateral movement of the vessel, or for the purpose of steering it.

These valves may be turned or rotated to open and close them by any suitable means.

The pump D may be of any suitable charactor, and be operated by steam or other stantially as specified.

B. T. BABBITT.

Witnesses FRED HAYNES, R. E. RABEAU. 

